Two killed in clash in Turkey's Kurdish southeast

Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 9:56 PM Posted by Beijing News


A Turkish soldier and a Kurdish separatist rebel were killed in a gun battle in southeast Turkey on Sunday, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

The clash took place in the province of Hakkari, it said.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK guerrilla group last month extended a unilateral ceasefire to July 15 to pursue a more peaceful resolution to Turkey's 25-year separatist conflict. But it said it reserved the right to defend itself if it comes under attack by the military.

Politicians, the army and PKK leaders have made overtures about peacefully ending a conflict that has killed 40,000 people, mainly Kurds, since 1984.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said a month ago that Turkey had "an historic opportunity" to end the conflict, which has long hampered the European Union candidate's development and has been a source of regional tension.

The government has expanded cultural and political rights of minority Kurds under reforms aimed at winning entry to the EU.

Writing by Ibon Villelabeitia; Editing by Louise Ireland





Schalit

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